In the spine, vertebrae provide the rigidity and support of the spinal column, and the intervertebral discs provide flexibility and shock absorption during movement. In some individuals, the intervertebral discs may be damaged from trauma, and/or may lose their integrity due to degeneration. Degenerated and damaged discs negatively affect the flexibility and load bearing capacity of the spine, and may cause pain and discomfort in subjects, and may inhibit the ability of the subject to move or lift objects.
To restore function of degenerated or damaged discs, such discs are typically surgically removed, at least in part, and replaced with a prosthetic disc. Prosthetic discs may take the form of an implant, which bridges adjacent vertebrae together and assumes the function of the natural disc. Such implants often include bone or a material that facilitates bone growth, in which case the implants support fusion of two adjacent vertebrae via new bone growth. There remains a need to provide implants for replacing intervertebral discs that re-establish and maintain a natural spinal alignment.
In some cases, bone tumors or significant bone trauma necessitate partial or entire removal of a vertebral body. There is also a need to provide implants that provide for a three dimensional reconstruction of vertebral bodies that restore lost height, fill cavities, and provide long term stabilization of the reconstructed vertebrae.